The International Collaboration for Diagnostic Evaluation of Autism (IDEA) group was established in March 2020 by Stephen Kanne, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Autism and the Developing Brain. Dr. Kanne initially organized a monthly webinar and invited autism clinicians to share their knowledge and expertise in response to COVID-19; however, it has continued as the information has proven helpful beyond the pandemic. The intention of the IDEA group is to provide practical ideas and tools for providers to use in their ASD clinics.
IDEA 2024 Schedule
The IDEA webinars are held on the last Wednesday of the month from 11:00am-12:00pm EST. Our 2023 schedule can be found below:
Past IDEA Webinars
Project ImPACT
Watch Recording - April 2024
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Brooke Ingersoll, Ph.D. | Project ImPACT: How, for whom, and under what conditions does it work? |
Remote Psychotherapy for Autistic Adults
Watch Recording - March 2024
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Rachel Loftin, Ph.D. and Glen Veed, Ph.D. | Remote Psychotherapy for Autistic Adults |
Quantitative Measures of Social Communication
Watch Recording - February 2024
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Somer Bishop, Ph.D. | Developmental Assessment of Social Communication Abilities (DASCA) |
| Antonio Hardan, Ph.D. | Novel Questionnaires to Assess Core Autism Features: Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS) and Dimensional Assessment of Restricted/Repetitive Behaviors (DARB) |
Adapting Care for Autistic Youth in Generalized Psychiatric Settings
Watch Recording - January 2024
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Lauren Donnelly, Ph.D. | Adapting Care for Autistic Youth in Generalized Psychiatric Settings |
| Paige Cervantes, Ph.D. | Addressing Suicide Risk in Autism |
A Closer Look at Special Interests in Autism
Watch Recording - December 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Keri Nowell, Ph.D. | Special Interests Survey (SIS): What We've Learned So Far |
| Mirko Uljarević, MD, Ph.D. | Develop a New Quantitative Measure of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (RRD) in order to further understanding of distinct RRB Subdomains |
Social Camouflaging in Autism and the CAT-Q
Watch Recording - November 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Laura Hull, Ph.D. | Social Camouflaging in Autism and the CAT-Q |
School Psychology and Autism Evaluations
Watch Recording - October 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein, Ph.D. | Identification of Autism in the School vs. Medical Setting |
| Maryellen Brunson McClain, Ph.D., Katherine R. Mezher, Ph.D., and Lauren M. Gardner, Ph.D. | Autism Evaluations: Collaboration with School Psychologists and School Teams |
Challenges Around Self-Diagnosis and Social Media
Watch Recording - September 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Elisabeth Sheridan, Ph.D., and Giacomo Vivanti, Ph.D. | The Reach and Accuracy of Information on TikTok |
| Ariana Garagozzo, Psy.D. | Self-Diagnosis Case Presentations |
Focusing on Feedback and the Importance of Cognitive Evaluations
Watch Recording - August 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Rose M. O'Donnell, Ph.D. | Strategies for Productive Feedback with Families and Patients |
| Audrey Thurm, Ph.D. and Cheryl Klaiman, Ph.D. | The Importance of Cognition in Autism Diagnostic Evaluation |
Developmental Trajectories and Autism: Children and Multiplex Family Risk
Watch Recording - July 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Stephen Gentles, Ph.D. | Trajectories of Autistic Children: Mapping the Research |
| Nicole McDonald, Ph.D. | Developmental Trajectories of Infants with Multiplex Family History of Autism |
Creating Spaces for Autistic Individuals
Watch Recording - June 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Simon Humphreys | Twelve Design Pillars for Autism |
Early Evaluation Hub Models
Watch Recording - May 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Stephen Kanne, Ph.D. | Study on EBPs and MCHAT-R/F |
| Rebecca McNally Keehn, Ph.D. | Early Autism Evaluation Hub System: A Statewide Measure of Early Autism Diagnosis |
| Zachary Warren, Ph.D. | Improving Systems of Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Novel Early Action Models |
CDC Updated ASD Data and Challenging Diagnostic Assumptions
Watch Recording - April 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Amy Esler, Ph.D. | 2020 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network Surveillance Summaries |
Challenging Assumptions: Expert Initial Impressions and Pediatrician Assessments
Watch Recording - March 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Ashley de Marchena, Ph.D. | Challenging Assumptions: Expert Initial Impressions |
| Melanie Penner, M.D. | Increasing Capacity for Autism Diagnosis: The Role of Community Pediatricians |
How to Talk about Autism: Guidance from the Community
Watch Recording - February 2023
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Alison Singer | How to Talk About Autism |
| Connor Keating, Ph.D. | How to Talk About Autism: Guidance from the Community |
Autism Diagnosis in Rare Genetic Syndromes
Watch Recording - January 2023
Topic: Autism Diagnosis in Rare Genetic Syndromes
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Amy Esler, Ph.D. | Fragile X and Autism: Highly Overlapping or Completely Separate Condiditons? |
| Liz Will, Ph.D. | Co-Occurring Autism in Down Syndrome |
Eating Disorders, ARFID, and Autism
Watch Recording - December 2022
Topic: Eating Disorders, ARFID, and Autism
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Sarah Levinson, Ph.D. | Treating Eating Disorders Among Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| Alana Telesford, Ph.D. | Addressing Feeding Difficulties in Children with ASD |
First Time Diagnosis of Autism in Adulthood
Watch Recording - November 2022
Topic: First Time Diagnosis of Autism in Adulthood
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Katherine Loveland, Ph.D., Amy Izuno-Garcia, Ph.D., and Rainey Hughes, Ph.D. | First Time Diagnosis of Autism in Adulthood |
| Vanessa Bal, Ph.D. | Factors Shaping Adult Autism Assessment and Diagnosis |
EarliPoint and RITA-T (Rapid Interactive Screening for Autism in Toddlers)
Watch Recording - October 2022
Topic: EarliPoint and RITA-T (Rapid Interactive Screening for Autism in Toddlers)
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Roula Choueiri, M.D. | The Rapid Interactive Screening Test for Autism in Toddlers (RITA-T): Autism Screening Test and Models |
| Ami Klin, Ph.D. | EarliPoint |
Canvas Dx and NODA E™ - Hybrid Telehealth Platform for the Experienced Diagnostic Clinician
Watch Recording - September 2022
Topic: Canvas Dx and NODA E™ - Hybrid Telehealth Platform for the Experienced Diagnostic Clinician
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Sharief Taraman, M.D. and Jennifer Shannon, M.D. | Cognoa Canvas Dx |
| Ron Oberleitner | NODA |
Building Capacity to Treat Challenging Behavior in ASD
Watch Recording - August 2022
Topic: Building Capacity to Treat Challenging Behavior in ASD
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Henry Roane, Ph.D. | Developing an Outpatient Treatment Program for Challenging Behavior |
| Matthew Siegel, M.D. | Multidisciplinary Inpatient Approach to Challenging Behaviors in Youth with Autism and Developmental Disorders |
The Chasm Between Autism and the Criminal Law: Prevention, Education, and Intervention
Watch Recording - July 2022
Topic: The Chasm Between Autism and the Criminal Law: Prevention, Education, and Intervention
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Mark Mahoney, J.D. | The Chasm Between Autism and the Criminal Law |
| Lynda Geller | The Impact of Autism on Psychosexual Development, Understanding On-Line Offenses |
Supporting Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Medical Settings
Watch Recording - June 2022
Topic: Supporting Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Medical Settings
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Michael Morrier, Ph.D. | Preparing Hospitals for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum: Medical Alert Passport |
| Alexis Pavlov, Ph.D. | Mitigating Challenging Behaviors in Medical Settings for Patients Diagnosed with Autism |
Autistic Pathological Demand Avoidance
Watch Recording - May 2022
Topic: Autistic Pathological Demand Avoidance
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Sarah Dufek, Ph.D. | Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) |
| Diane Gould, LCSW, BCBA and Sandra McConnell | PDA: Autistic Pathological Demand Avoidance |
Family-Centered Approaches to Remote Neurodevelopmental Assessment & Assessing the Utility of Electronic Measures
Watch Recording - April 2022
Topic: Family-Centered Approaches to Remote Neurodevelopmental Assessment & Assessing the Utility of Electronic Measures as a Proxy for Cognitive Ability
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Amy Izuno-Garcia, M.Ed. | Preliminary Findings: Characteristics of Waitlists for Pediatric Autism Evaluations |
| Tess Levy | Assessing the Utility of Electronic Measures as a Proxy for Cognitive Ability |
| Bridgette Kelleher, Ph.D. | Family-Centered Approaches to Remote Neurodevelopmental Assessment |
Parent-Engaged Developmental Monitoring using CDC’s Developmental Milestones Checklists: An Overview of Revisions
Watch Recording - March 2022
Topic: Parent-Engaged Developmental Monitoring using CDC’s Developmental Milestones Checklists: An Overview of Revisions and Updates
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Stephanie Weber, Psy.D., MPH, Lisa Wiggins, Ph.D., and Jennifer Zubler, M.D. FAAP | Parent-Engaged Developmental Monitoring Using CDC's Developmental Milestone Checklists |
Understanding the New Lancet Commission Report on Autism and "Profound Autism"
Watch Recording - February 2022
Topic: Understanding the New Lancet Commission Report on Autism and "Profound Autism"
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Catherine Lord, Ph.D. | An International Perspective on the Future of Care and Clinical Research in Autism: The Lancet Commission's December 2021 Report |
| Alison Singer | Profound Autism |
2021 Autism Prevalence Findings: What they mean and how to use the data & INSAR C-Cap
Watch Recording - January 2022
Topic: 2021 Autism Prevalence Findings: What they mean and how to use the data & INSAR Cultural Diversity Career Advancement Program (C-Cap)
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Amy Esler, Ph.D. | Autism Prevalence Data: 2021 Findings and How to Use Them |
| Sandra Vanegas, Ph.D. | INSAR Cultural Diversity Career Advancement Program (C-Cap) |
Using Clinical Databases for Research
Watch Recording - December 2021
Topic: Using Clinical Databases for Research
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Luther Kalb, Ph.D., MHS | Developing a Clinical Research Registry in Autism Spectrum Disorders |
| Nicole Takahashi, M.S. | Research Clinic Partnership |
| Deanna Swain, Ph.D. | CADB REDCap Implementation: Integrating Research and Clinic |
The Intersection of Autism and Transgender/Gender Diverse Identities: Diagnostics, Needs, and Clinical Complex
Watch Recording - November 2021
Topic: The Intersection of Autism and Transgender/Gender Diverse Identities: Diagnostics, Needs, and Clinical Complexities
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| John Strang, Psy.D. | The Intersection of Autism and Transgender/Diverse Identities: Diagnostics, Needs, and Clinical Complexities |
Pros and Cons of Implementing a Remote Workplace
Watch Recording - October 2021
Topic: Pros and Cons of Implementing a Remote Workplace
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Stephen Kanne, Ph.D. | Remote Working |
| Laura Carpenter, Ph.D. and Catherine Bradley, Ph.D. | Medical University of South Carolina Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics |
| Jennifer Paz Ryan, Psy.D. and Kate Colon, Psy.D. | Elevated Insights |
Managing the Waitlist
Watch Recording - September 2021
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Angela Fish, Ph.D. | ASD Screening Process |
| Jennifer Gerdts, Ph.D. | Tackling the Waitlist: Age-Based Diagnostic Tracks in Interdisciplinary Team Evaluation for ASD |
Integrating Autism Diagnostic Services with Medical Services
Watch Recording - August 2021
Topic: Integrating Autism Diagnostic Services with Medical Services
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Nancy Sullivan, Ph.D., Janice Keener, Ph.D., Serene Habayeb, Ph.D., Debra Reicher, Ph.D., and Maritza Cobian, Psy.D. | Integrating Autism Diagnostic Services with Medical Services |
Programs that Address Transition to Adulthood
Watch Recording - July 2021
Topic: Programs that Address Transition to Adulthood
Presentation slides can be found below:
| Presenter | Topic |
|---|---|
| Mary Ciccarelli, M.D. | Center for Youth and Adults with Conditions of Childhood |
